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The name of the village is believed to come from the Old English and mean settlement at the mill ford. There is evidence of a mill within the parish from the Domesday Book of 1086.[2] These referred to the site of the Town Mills on Hillfarrence Brook.[3]

Neolithic flint arrowheads have been found to the west of the village and Bronze age axe heads were discovered when the bypass, which opened in 1975, was being built.[3]

The Old House is a Grade II* listed building dating from the late 14th and early 15th century.[5] It was built as a residence for the archdeacon of Taunton and was once the home of Thomas Cranmer.[6][7] While the house was being renovated in the early 21st century a Tudor wall painting of Henry VIII was discovered underneath the plaster and is the only one of its kind in a domestic dwelling.[8] It has been speculated that there is a secret message in the image.,[9] which has been dated to around 1541.[10]

In 1708 there was a fire which destroyed 13 properties.[2] Trade was largely based on cloth manufacture and in 1819 Lamech Swift established a silk throwing factory which employed up to 300 women and children.[3]

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.